


Fate/Zero Regrets

by MrDerpyKid2



Category: Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night (Visual Novel)
Genre: Gen, Shirou despairs about harem antics, Tokiomi is a dumbass, Troll Kariya, Uncle Kariya
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-21 07:17:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15552492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrDerpyKid2/pseuds/MrDerpyKid2
Summary: In another world and another time, Kariya Matou died a broken man, much like the Servant he summoned.In that same world and time, Shirou Emiya had saved the girl Kariya broke himself for.What if the two were to meet instead?





	1. Not Quite the Servant You Were Expecting

Kariya Matou stood in front of a large, ornate circle with a pendant in the middle. He had managed to steal a gem from Tokiomi’s mansion the night before.

 

“Oh, so you bring this back in lieu of a proper catalyst? My, my, Kariya. You truly are a failure.”

 

Zouken’s tone could freeze the entire world as he regarded his grandson with scorn and derision.

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to use my catalyst? You know that it would summon a better Servant.”

 

“Shut up,” Kariya spat. “I don’t want any help from you. Besides, I did my homework. The Avenger class is best suited to my needs.”

 

Kariya had spent his year preparing for the Grail War and trying to decide which Servant to summon. The main problem would be the worms. He could supply any of the Servants with mana for a short time, but he would certainly die quickly. In fact, he would definitely die before winning the Grail if he tried to summon any of the standard Servants.

 

However, when researching past Wars, he found a footnote regarding the Avenger-class Servant. The books simply offhandedly noted that an eighth, weak Servant had been summoned in the Third War by the Einzberns, and it had died quickly. Kariya was intrigued. Even his grandfather never spoke of this class. Was it possible that he did not know of its existence?

 

Kariya needed to know more. He had snuck into Tokiomi’s mansion a few nights ago, trying to find more information on the Avenger class, when he came across a book dedicated to all the Servant classes. The book was dusty and seemed about as old as Zouken, but Kariya managed to obtain the information he needed there.

 

While the Avenger-class Servant tended to be weaker than the other seven, Kariya found his lifeline in its Mana Self-Replenishment Class Skill. He decided that he could simply give Avenger orders while he himself rested safely out of the sight of the other Masters. Of course, part of it was that he was rather enamored with the idea of summoning an incarnation of vengeance.

 

After all, he had plenty of grudges.

 

Unfortunately, he had only managed to steal a gem from Tokiomi’s mansion as a catalyst. It would have to do.

 

He grit his teeth. The newly implanted worms were still something he was getting used to. They squirmed inside of him, crawling through his flesh as they searched for his Od to devour.

 

_Sakura...is this what you have had to endure?_

 

Kariya clenched his fists. What he wouldn’t give to tear the old man next to him apart.

 

“What? Are you just going to stand there, Kariya?”

 

Zouken smirked as he mocked his grandson. To think that Kariya would come back now, after having fled the family so long ago. All to save a little girl that was handed to Zouken like some secondhand clothing. He chuckled at the thought. Oh, how stupid his grandson was. How suicidally stupid.

 

“Shut up, you son of a bitch. I’m doing this for Sakura, and Sakura alone.”

 

“Oh? So your desire to trump Tokiomi has nothing to do with it?”

 

Kariya went rigid as he processed what Zouken had said.

 

“Oh, I see. Do you still think you can win back Aoi? That she is an unwilling participant in a cold and loveless marriage? She did bare a child for him, Kariya. Perhaps there is more to it than you think.”

 

Zouken grinned. Oh yes, he would enjoy this. Both the worms and this were part of his punishment for fleeing. If this useless piece of trash won the Grail for him, so much the better. He would even give him Sakura. But Zouken had decided that the worms and Kariya’s participation in the War was enough for him. Anything else would be an added bonus.

 

By this point, Kariya was shaking. There was no way Aoi still loved Tokiomi. After all, he saw her crying as Tokiomi gave Sakura to this _monster_. How could she still love him after that?

 

He breathed in harshly. He couldn’t afford to be distracted right now. He had to focus on getting into the war and summoning his Servant.

 

“I’m going to start now.”

 

He fixed his gaze on the circle and held out his right hand.

 

_Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill._

_Repeat five times._

_But when each is filled, destroy it._

_Heed my words._

_My will creates thy body, and thy sword creates my destiny._

_If thou heedest the Grail’s call, and obey my will and reason,_

_Then answer my summoning!_

_Let all those who witness thee tremble in terror and dread,_

_As thou wreaks thy terrible justice upon the guilty!_

 

A blinding burst of light erupted from the circle, overwhelming the room in a torrent of brightness as the ritual completed itself. When the two men could see again, they saw another man now standing in the circle.

 

He was dressed in a blue overcoat with black armor underneath. The Nordic runes on his armor glowed in the dark room, giving him a sense of age and power. He was tall, towering over both Kariya and Zouken. The contrast between this red-haired man and Zouken’s decrepit form would have made Kariya snort had it not been for the gravity of the situation.

 

However, his amber eyes, as they gazed into Kariya’s own, struck him as the most memorable. These were the eyes of a man who had seen horror and death, and Kariya knew that those eyes could harden at a moment’s notice if the man wished them to. Yet this man chose to keep his eyes soft and gentle, as if to invite all who beheld him to be his comrade.

 

The man looked around quizzically. He had clearly not expected to be here. Then his eyes darted to Zouken and after that, Kariya’s Command Seals.

 

For a split second, shock and surprise were written on the man’s face, before morphing into grim determination.

 

Smirking to himself, as if enjoying an inside joke, the man spoke:

 

“I ask of you…”

 

The man looked straight at Kariya as he asked his question.

 

“Are you my master?”


	2. The Avenger of Justice

Shirou Emiya looked around the dingy apartment Kariya had rented out. 

After he had defeated Gilgamesh, he had gone with Rin and Saber to the Clock Tower before returning to Fuyuki, and there he had discovered what Zouken Matou was doing to Sakura. Enraged, he remembered contracting the help of a Church Executor to destroy Zouken using the Baptism Rite, then removed the worms inside of Sakura using Gae Bolg and Avalon. The experience had not been pleasant--Shirou cursed himself the entire time for having no better solution--but no one had suffered permanent damage (besides Zouken).

So when he saw the old worm again, he had wanted nothing more than to decapitate the old man and incinerate him.

Unfortunately, he quickly realized that he had been summoned in a Holy Grail War, so he had to recognize his Master immediately to complete the contract. He smirked at the memory.

_ Never thought I’d get to use your line, Saber. _

From what he gathered, he had somehow been summoned in the  _ Fourth _ War, the one that caused the Fuyuki fire ten years before his War. He was even more shocked to have been summoned by Sakura’s uncle.

In the days after the Grail war, he  _ finally _ caught on to Sakura’s feelings for him. (Rin, of course, had been laughing the whole time. “Only  _ you _ could ignore an obvious crush someone had on you for  _ over three years, _ Shirou.”) While he awkwardly stood there for a while, trying to puzzle out what to do, Rin had bluntly stated that Sakura could join their little triangle.

Rin apparently found the sight so amusing that she actually took a picture of his and Sakura’s “tomato faces”. 

Of course, Shirou got her back later, noting that this was the first successful picture Rin had taken with the camera he bought her a year ago. Then it was Rin’s turn to blush crimson.

Saber had watched the whole thing with an amused smirk on her face. Really, she might as well have been holding a tin of popcorn during the whole fiasco.

His smirk became a sad smile.

He missed those days with Rin, Sakura, and Saber. They had traveled the world afterward, trying to save as many people as they could. Though the repeated visits to the Middle East grew a bit tiresome after a while, Shirou had never regretted his choices.

His wish, broken as it was, had done some good in the world after all.

He shook his head quickly. He needed to concentrate on the present.

Shirou looked around the apartment for Kariya. He wanted to discuss the strategy for the Grail War. Shirou knew that Gilgamesh was a participant in the previous war, and while he knew that Lord El-Melloi II — or Waver Velvet — had been a participant, he had no idea which Servant he had summoned. Same goes for Kotomine; all he knew was that he eventually killed Rin’s father.

Then there was Kiritsugu Emiya.

Shirou knew that at this point in time, Kiritsugu would not be the kind, gentle man he knew as his father, but a ruthless mercenary determined to win the Grail at all costs. He remembered going wide-mouthed with shock when Saber had finally told him the stories about his father during the Fourth War, wondering how the man who raised and nurtured him could have been so cold and unforgiving. It was almost as if the man who raised him and the killer Saber described were two different people. 

However, Saber also told him about Irisviel, Kiritsugu’s wife, who she had a far higher opinion of. She smiled as she recalled Irisviel’s antics and childish personality, sharing fond memories of her walking along the beach as she spoke of Kiritsugu, and her unbridled joy at seeing Fuyuki City and its attractions. Although, she also shared less-fond memories of her...questionable driving. Shirou had shuddered when Saber mentioned her absolute disregard for traffic safety. If Irisviel could make  _ Saber,  _ of all people, who took her Hayabusa motorcycle on insane joyrides whenever she could, question her driving sense, then Shirou prayed that he would not ever have the misfortune of being one of Irisviel’s passengers.

Of course, there was the issue that Saber herself would be participating in this War.

Fighting them would be... _ awkward,  _ to say the least.

True, he merely needed to convince them that the Grail had been corrupted by Angra Mainyu, but that was much simpler said than done. Sure, he could expect Irisviel to know that the Einzberns had indeed summoned Avenger, but he would have to find some way to ensure that they would trust him.

Come to think of it..why  _ had _ he been summoned as  _ Avenger _ , of all classes?

As he turned the corner into the living room, however, he found bigger fish to fry.

Kariya was sitting down on the sofa, but he was gritting his teeth in an attempt to stave off the fresh wave of pain from the Crest Worms. 

“Master! Are you alright?”

Shirou quickly ran over to Kariya before starting at the condition of the left side of Kariya’s body.

Multiple veins were bulging, and Kariya’s left eye was bleeding profusely. The worms writhed beneath his skin, created unnatural, moving lumps that slowly inched around the left side of Kariya’s body. It seemed like some sort of sick before and after comparison, if the “before” was a mass of worms crawling under a person’s skin.

“Master, we can’t just leave you like this. These worms can and will kill you before this war ends, even  _ with _ my Mana Self-Replenishment,” Shirou said. “We have to get some sort of help.”

Kariya laughed painfully and his next words were full of vitriol. “And pray tell, where would we find this help, Avenger? Only that old son of a bitch knows how to remove these worms, and the Holy Grail might as well crumble before that happens.”

_ That day is closer than you think, Kariya, _ Shirou thought wryly.

“Here. I have a solution.”

Shirou closed his eyes.

“Trace, on.”

_ Judging the concept of creation. _

A staff created by the god of healers, made to destroy all afflictions and heal any wound.

_ Hypothesizing the basic structure. _

A simple wooden staff, with ancient Greek engraving of what would become the Hippocratic Oath scrawled onto it, and detailed bronze python.

_ Duplicating the composition material. _

Wood taken from the forests of Mount Etna, the former home of the Titans. Bronze mined from Mount Olympus itself.

_ Imitating the skill of its making. _

Asclepius had infused its very essence with the power of healing, ensuring it would do no harm to those in need.

_ Sympathizing with the experience of its growth. _

The staff had healed many people over hundreds of years, curing them of any and all ailments. From the beginning of Greece to its end, it was revered as a miracle in and of itself. There were none who did not regard its legend with awe.

_ Reproducing the accumulated years. _

513 years of experience went into this staff. Shirou struggled to copy them all, and in the end could only manage 394 of them.

_ Excelling every manufacturing process. _

He poured his desire to save others into the imitation, praying that his pleas would be heard. He infused the staff with an unconditional desire to heal and restore.

Shirou opened his eyes. In his hands, he held the Staff of Asclepius. 

From a glance, he knew that the Noble Phantasm had been downgraded from A++ to a mere B rank, but it would serve his purposes.

“Here, Master. This should help with the worms.”

Shirou pressed the staff into Kariya’s trembling hands. Instantly, the staff began to seek and destroy the worms within his body, while repairing the tissues the worms had damaged.

Kariya’s eyes widened in surprise as he felt the worms inside of him dying. He quickly turned to Avenger. “How did you do that?”

“My ability allows me to reproduce any object I have come across, even Noble Phantasms,” Avenger answered calmly. “Though the Noble Phantasms will be downgraded at least a full rank, that staff will be enough to eventually kill all the worms in your body.”

Kariya froze as he tried to process what his Servant just said.  _ I thought that I would just try to win the Grail as soon as I can and die afterwards. It would be a small price to pay to save Sakura...but now…. _

_ Wait. What if he could-! _

Kariya suddenly grasped Avenger’s arm desperately, startling the Servant.

“Please! Can you do this with Sakura as well? She needs it more than me. Scratch that, if she doesn’t get help like this staff soon, the worms will spread through her entire body!”

Kariya begged his Servant with an intense light in his eyes that caused Shirou to step back a bit. They were the eyes of a man on the verge of breaking. They were the eyes of a hungry animal on the brink of death.

They were the eyes of a man who had resigned himself to death to achieve his goal.

However, the flash of fear quickly disappeared and was replaced by somber, grim determination. He knew as well as Kariya that Sakura’s condition would have to be dealt with at some point. There was no way in hell he would fail Sakura as he had in life.

“Rest assured, Master, she will receive the same treatment,” Shirou spoke placatingly. “We will do so as soon as Zouken is dead.”

Kariya blinked in surprise. “Not that I’m objecting, but how? Zouken can reincarnate so long as his worms are within Sakura. If you use the staff with her, Zouken will notice and just kill her immediately.”

Shirou’s lips tightened into a flat line. “There is a method that would definitely work...however, it is extremely traumatizing, and I would rather not subject Sakura to that. She deserves better. I will only use it as a last resort. And besides, if there’s one thing I will do before the end of this War, it is to kill that old bastard  _ painfully _ .” 

Kariya’s eyes widened as the Servant spat his declaration of enmity towards Zouken. “You...seem to hate him as much as I do.”

“I’m a Heroic Spirit, Master. I didn’t get on the Throne by sitting back and watching innocents suffer,” Avenger snarked.

“Still, your hatred seems...personal.”

“Consider it a side effect of being summoned as an Avenger.”

Kariya blinked, then realized he was still clutching Avenger’s arm. He quickly released it. “Sorry about that,” he said. He placed his free hand on the back of his head, making him look almost sheepish. 

“No need to apologize, Master. You have told me what you desire in this War. I simply have to fulfill that wish,” the Servant replied. “However, I would like to-”

Avenger quickly cut himself off as he stiffened. Kariya became alert immediately.

“Master, there’s several Servants gathering in the warehouse district down by the river.”

Kariya was shocked. _Several?_ _It seems this War is going at breakneck pace already._

“Get there as quickly as you can, Avenger. Try not to engage; just observe. I know you’re not as strong as the other Servants, and I’m far from the strongest Master, so just hang back and gather information.”

“Understood, Master.” Shirou nodded, then assumed astral form.

It was time to go to work.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lancer smirked as the two women approached him. So, they had sensed his presence after all. At least they had the honor to show themselves. 

One was a woman wearing a black suit and tie, along with black business pants and shoes. Her hair was blonde and tied back into a ponytail, though a single strand sprouted from the top of her head as if it were a sapling. He would have been tempted to laugh had the woman not carried herself with the dignity of a king, her fierce green eyes wary as she searched for Lancer. 

The other woman was wearing a white winter cap, a white fur coat with buttons lining both sides on the front, and thigh-high white boots to go along with it. In addition, her unnaturally white skin combined with her piercing red eyes gave an otherworldly impression. She looked around with a neutral expression on her face, scanning the warehouses for any sign of danger.

“Welcome.”

In an instant the two were on high alert, both rapidly glancing around them to see where the voice had came from. 

“I have spent the entire day searching the city for a worthy foe. Everyone just slinks away, hiding in their little holes.”

Lancer spoke as slowly as he walked while he emerged from the shadows, his hands gripping his twin spears wrapped in cloth. He turned to face them.

“You alone have accepted my offer.”

The black-suited woman stepped in front of the white woman protectively, as if she were a knight defending her king. 

“That pure energy surrounding you...you are the Servant called Saber, I presume.”

“Indeed I am,” Saber replied. “And I presume that you are the one that’s called Lancer.”

Lancer sighed inwardly. “Being unable to honorably name myself to my opponent in combat troubles me more than I can describe. I harbor an enormous dislike of these rules.” Though he did not possess the battle-thirst of his fellow Irishmen, he nevertheless enjoyed a good duel.

He twirled his spears and readied himself for battle, assuming a neutral stance.

Mist swirled around the woman before erupting in a gust of wind. When it died down, Saber was now wearing a blue dress with shoulder pads underneath, adorned with armor on her torso, arms, and the sides of her skirt. She lifted her sword...or what Lancer assumed to be her sword, as it appeared that she was merely grasping air. 

_ Perhaps some sort of magical barrier. But why conceal her blade? A measure such as this would be unnecessary to simply conceal the length of one’s sword. Is she afraid of being recognized by it? _

_ Enough, Lancer.  _ His Master’s voice echoed in his head, cold and distant.  _ Probe her capabilities, then eliminate her swiftly. _

_ Yes, Master. _

Lancer narrowed his eyes as he stared down the woman in front of him.

“You have a charm spell,” Saber observed.

Lancer suppressed the urge to groan. He settled for sighing. “Apologies. It was a curse I was born with. There’s really nothing that can be done about it.”

“Surely you don’t actually believe that a pleasant face and a charming  _ swagger _ will save you from the bite of my blade, spearman.”

Now Lancer had to suppress the urge to grin.  _ Finally,  _ a woman who could face him in combat without that damned curse hindering them! And it was Saber, too! This should be fun.

He chuckled. “I certainly hope not; it would spoil the fun. I see now that the tales of the Saber class’s resistance to magic are true. Very well. I’d rather not kill a girl who’s throwing herself at me. It would sully my reputation. I’m pleased that my first opponent is made of sterner stuff.”

Saber smiled in amusement. “Oh. So what you desire is a fair fight? I consider myself fortunate to encounter such a strong and proud hero.”

Lancer smiled. “Then let us...begin.”

For a few tense seconds, neither warrior moved, each seeing who would attack first, each sizing up the other.

_ Though her petite frame suggests otherwise, the fact that she is Saber means that she will be quite strong, _ Lancer thought.  _ I should probably expect great speed as well, though I certainly outclass her in that department.  _

Then Saber launched herself towards Lancer, aiming a blow at his chest. Lancer quickly blocked the blow with his red spear. The force of the clash tore up the ground they stood on, and asphalt flew as Lancer blocked another blow from Saber using both spears.

_ Not bad...in terms of physical strength, I’m at a disadvantage. However, in terms of speed…. _

Lancer danced around Saber’s blows, then began to jab and slash at Saber with both spears, forcing the swordswoman to play defense. 

He smirked as Saber’s emerald eyes glanced at both spears in his hand.

_ She hasn’t figured out which spear is my Noble Phantasm yet. I doubt she’s expecting both to have an effect. If the barrier is any indication, she will be reluctant to use  _ her  _ Noble Phantasm.  _

_ Now, about that barrier…. _

Lancer took the offensive again, swinging at Saber with his long spear. She swiftly blocked, then was forced to jump back as Lancer attempted to sweep her legs with his shorter spear. The impact carved a curve into the asphalt.

He forced her back further, pushing her back as his spears clashed with Saber’s invisible sword.

“What’s wrong, Saber? On the defensive already?” he taunted.

Saber’s only reaction was to narrow her eyes and rush at Lancer once more, trying to spot an opening. Lancer met her as his spear slammed into what he assumed to be the blade, but quickly jumped back when Saber grinded her sword along his spear’s shaft to slash at him.

A small cut appeared on his face.

_ Curse that blade of hers, _ he thought.  _ Without knowing its exact length, I can’t get close enough to strike. The fact that she can repel my attacks so easily means that she must be a master swordswoman.  _

He clashed with Saber again, speeding up his movements in an attempt to break through. Saber simply matched his speed and deflected, but he was already in progress with his plan.

The blade met the tip of his red spear more than once during this exchange. Lancer could tell that the barrier was weakening. 

_ Another few strikes with Gae Dearg, and it should break. Before that, however… _

“There is really no honor in a battle fought without the proper exchange of names. But allow me to offer my regards. It’s impressive for a woman to fight so hard without even breaking a sweat as she does it,” Lancer declared.

“You needn’t be so humble, Lancer,” Saber replied with a thin smile. “Even without my knowing your name, those words from a master of the spear do me honor. I gratefully accept them.”

_ It is a shame that we could not duel in less restrictive circumstances,  _ Lancer thought.  _ I would have quite enjoyed it. _

“That’s enough fun for now, Lancer.”

The white-haired woman spun around in confusion to try and locate the voice coming from the loudspeaker. “Lancer’s...Master?”

“Do not allow this battle to go on. Saber is a formidable opponent. Eliminate her at once. You may use your Noble Phantasm.”

_ As if I wasn’t using them already,  _ Lancer thought with amusement.

He smirked. “As you command. I will comply.”

He dropped Gae Buidhe and held Gae Dearg with both hands. With a mental command, the cloth concealing its shape was released. The spear now hummed with power.

“You heard the command. The time has come...for me to kill you,” Lancer declared.

This at least ought to even the odds a bit.

“Saber...are you using focused wind mana to keep your blade concealed?”

For a split second, Saber’s eyes lit up with shock.  _ How could he have figured it out so quickly? _

_...is probably what she’s thinking right now. _

“I see. I’ll wager that you have a very good reason to conceal your sword from me. I think the sword reveals your true name.”

“How unfortunate for you,” Saber retorted. “I’m afraid you’ll never know the true name of my blade.”

She raised her sword to the side of her head.

“I’ll finish this before you ever get the chance.”

Lancer began to walk towards his opponent.

“We shall see about that. I  _ will _ discover whatever it is you’re hiding, Saber.”

He leapt forward, and Saber did the same. Lancer thrust his spear at the wind barrier.

When Gae Dearg made contact with the barrier, a small portion of it was torn off, and as wind erupted around them, a small part of Saber’s sword was revealed. 

He could only see the crossguard and pommel, but it was still a hint. The crossguard was adorned with a blue and gold emblem, while the crossguard was likewise golden.

Saber leapt back to disengage.

“Finally, you’ve exposed your sword to me, Saber.”

Saber wore an expression of confusion on her face. Clearly she had not expected  _ this _ . “The Invisible Air is...coming apart…?”

Lancer began his assault in earnest. 

He quickly jabbed a Saber three times, then swept his spear in a horizontal arc. Saber only narrowly dodged the strikes, but Lancer increased his speed, and Saber was soon forced to block with her sword. 

Each time Gae Dearg’s tip struck the barrier--Invisible Air, she called it?--more of the sword was revealed. Each time, a golden light shone through the barrier.

_ A golden sword? Now where have I heard that before… _

Lancer forced Saber back towards a stack of freight cars, slashing at her head. Saber was forced to dodge, then ran up the side of the freight car to avoid his next slash.

_ Clever move. _

Lancer twirled his spear for effect.  _ Now, what will you do in response to this next attack, Saber? _

He charged towards Saber. She simply stood her ground, and prepared an attack.

_ Ah...so you think your armor can protect you. If it’s because it’s magical in nature, that means you truly don’t know what Gae Dearg’s capabilities are. _

He smiled as his spear cut into Saber’s armor. Blood flowed as Gae Dearg simply ignored it and struck at the soft flesh underneath.

_ As I thought. _

Saber gasped in surprise as she dodged the rest of Lancer’s blow, but the cut he inflicted had left its mark. 

“Saber!” 

Lancer glanced at the woman in white as she quickly closed her eyes, a light green light glowing around her. Looking back at Saber, the wound he just gave her was also glowing.

_ Healing magic...I see. So that woman must be Saber’s Master. _

“My thanks, Irisviel,” Saber said. “I’m fine. The healing is working.”

“It appears this will be no easy victory,” Lancer observed.

Saber fixed her gaze on him, but then looked back to the wound, before finally turning her gaze back to Lancer, a look of understanding in her eyes.

_ It appears she’s figured something out…. _

“So that’s it. I know the secret of your spear, Lancer.”

“Oh?”

“That red spear of your is able to negate magic.” 

“Hm. So your armor was created using magic, huh? Well, if you were counting on it to protect you, you should surrender now, Saber.”

He pointed the tip of Gae Dearg at her chest armor.

“You’re good as naked before my spear.”

_ I can simply bypass her armor now. I know the length of her sword. So, how will she respond? _

“I’m afraid that won’t be happening, Lancer.”

The voice did not belong to Saber.

Everyone turned their heads in alarm, trying to locate the newcomer. Then Lancer spotted him.

The redheaded-man was clad in a blue overcoat and black armor. In his hands, he held a large black bow, with an arrow already nocked. Before Lancer could react, the man released the arrow.

It flew at him with astounding speed, giving off a small shockwave as it soared towards Lancer. Only his unnatural speed saved him as he dodged the projectile.

The arrow impacted the ground with a small explosion of mana, throwing asphalt and dirt everywhere. Despite that, Lancer knew that if he  _ had _ been hit by that arrow, he would have lost an arm at least.

Lancer fixed his gaze up at the interloper. “You dare interrupt a duel between knights?” he snarled.

The blue archer regarded him with indifference. He then leapt from his perch and landed right in between the two Servants, tearing up even more asphalt as he landed.

He stood before the two knights, his coat fluttering slightly with the breeze as he regarded the scene before him.

“As you have each exchanged classes, it is only fitting I give you mine,” the man declared.

The bow in his hands dissolved into motes of light, surprising everyone present. 

_ Wait, he is not Archer? _ Lancer thought.  _ Then who could he… _

The red-haired man fixed everyone with a gaze of pure determination, his amber eyes standing out in the darkness like two lanterns.

“I...am Servant Avenger.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Five Minutes Earlier**

Shirou crouched on a lamppost as he observed the fight going on at the docks.

Saber was about to face off against who seemed to be Lancer, but the two spears confused him at first. Then he quickly read the history of each spear.

_ This could go badly for Saber. She doesn’t know about its ability to negate magic, and if he lands a solid hit with Gae Buidhe, it’s over. _

He shook his head and focused on scanning the docks.

_ Kariya, begin sharing my senses. I’m at the docks. _

_ Understood,  _ Kariya replied.

Shirou quickly Reinforced his eyes, sharpening his sight a hundredfold as he looked over the warehouses.

He spotted a man standing on the top of a warehouse about 500 meters away. The man wore a blue coat, and seemed to watch the battle with amusement. Spotting the Command Seals on his hand, he concluded that this must be Lancer’s master.

He looked around, then spotted a woman clad in black, wielding a sniper rifle as she scoped out targets around the docks.

_ Who’s that?  _ Kariya asked.  _ She doesn’t have any Command Seals, and why is she using a gun? I thought magi hated technology. _

_ That’s because she isn’t a magus, Master. She’s probably working with  _ that  _ man there. _

Shirou had spotted his adoptive father.

Kiritsugu Emiya was wearing a black coat and black shirt underneath, along with black pants to blend in with his surroundings. In his hands rested a sniper rifle much like the one the woman was wearing. His exposed hands bore the mark of Command Seals. 

_ That man is Saber’s Master? _

_ Yes. Kiritsugu Emiya, commonly known as the “Magus Killer” among the magical community,  _ Shirou noted grimly.  _ He is known for being a cold-blooded assassin that no magus has ever escaped from.  _

_ How do you know so much about him?  _ Kariya sounded surprised.  _ Do you know him somehow? _

_ You could say that,  _ Shirou admitted.

_ But you’re a Servant! How could you have met him before? You’re a hero from the past, after all. _

Shirou snorted with amusement. If only Kariya knew what  _ his _ War had been like.

_ I’ll explain later, Master. Suffice to say that he is one of the most dangerous participants in this War.  _

Shirou looked around, but then he spotted something far more alarming.

A figure clad in black was watching the proceedings quietly as she crouched on a steel beam, out of sight of any of the participants. However, her most outstanding feature was her chilling, bone-white mask that she wore, concealing any distinguishing features.

She was certainly not human, and Shirou doubted that a familiar could look so complete.

_ Master, I believe I’ve found Assassin. _

Shirou could feel Kariya’s shock through the bond that connected them.  _ What? How!? Assassin was eliminated by Archer at the beginning of the War! _

Shirou raised his eyebrows.  _ Perhaps his Noble Phantasm allows him to swap bodies when he dies?  _

_ I’ll have to be careful. With Assassin still alive, I’ll be at a much higher risk than before.  _ Kariya sounded grim as he contemplated the new circumstances.

_ Then perhaps I should lower that risk a bit,  _ Shirou replied as he projected the Black Bow into his hands along with a broken arrow.  _ Permission to eliminate Assassin, Master? _

_ I won’t stop you,  _ Kariya noted wryly.  _ Let’s see how  _ she  _ takes to surprise attacks. _

Shirou nocked that arrow as he aimed for Assassin’s chest. Even if he didn’t kill her immediately, he should damage her Core badly enough to force her to retreat. He let the arrow fly.

It struck true, right in Assassin’s heart.

The ghoul plummeted, but before she could hit the ground, she disintegrated into black dust.

Shirou quickly astralized himself to avoid being detected by Kiritsugu as his father looked around wildly to see who had taken out the Servant of Murder.

_ One down. _

_ We still don’t know how many times Assassin can reincarnate, or if it is even...their?...Noble Phantasm at all,  _ Kariya noted.  _ We’ll have to be on the lookout for more of them as the War progresses. _

_ Understood. _

Shirou then quickly looked over to the battle between Saber and Lancer. Saber was rushing at Lancer, trusting that her armor would protect her against Gae Dearg. 

Shirou knew better, and winced as the First Knight of the Fianna cut into her side.

_ I have a plan, Master. This ought to throw some confusion into the War. Permission to engage? _

_ What are you planning to do, Avenger?  _

_ Just trust me. _ Shirou projected another sword, a minor D-ranked Noble Phantasm, Altered it into an arrow, and nocked it. 

“Hm. So your armor was created using magic, huh? Well, if you were counting on it to protect you, you should surrender now, Saber.”

Lancer pointed Gae Dearg at Saber before declaring, “You’re as good as naked before my spear.”

_ I’ve finally found someone as bad with innuendoes as I am, _ Shirou thought with amusement.

From his perch, he declared, “I’m afraid that won’t be happening, Lancer.”

The spearman spotted him just as he loosed the arrow, and managed to dodge just in time. 

The arrow exploded with the force of a weak grenade, destroying the asphalt and throwing up a cloud of dirt.

Lancer gazed up at Shirou with a look of irritation. “You dare interrupt a duel between knights?” he snarled.

In response, Shirou Reinforced his legs and leapt from his perch to the site of their duel, with his landing cracking yet more of the road.  _ Whoever has to clean this up has my condolences, _ he wryly noted.

As he gazed at both Servants, he declared: “As you have each exchanged classes, it is only fitting I give you mine.”

“I...am Servant Avenger.”

The statement shocked everyone present, as they all attempted to wrap their head around Shirou’s declaration. Clearly, they had not been expecting this. Shirou couldn’t blame them. The Avenger Class had only ever belonged to one Servant, and he had been so pitiful that he was defeated immediately.

“First of all, I would like to pose a question to Lancer over there,” Shirou said, shaking them out of their thoughts.

“Yes, Avenger? What is it?” Lancer narrowed his eyes and twirled Gae Dearg threateningly.

“Regarding your cursed mole...have you ever tried to cover it up?”

Stunned silence reigned as all who were present tried to process what the Servant had just asked.

Lancer is particular was having trouble containing his astonishment. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open. “Wha..first of all, how did you know it was the-”

“You wield Gae Dearg, the Crimson Rose of Exorcism, and Gae Buidhe, the Golden Rose of Mortality. You mentioned you have a curse that you were born with which attracts women,” Shirou calmly answered. “Few would not recognize you with that information, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne.” 

The spearman further recoiled in shock as the Servant of Vengeance spoke his true name so casually, as if it were an obvious fact that everyone knew. Yet, he did so with no condescension. Still, it appeared he was reeling from the revelation of his true name, as his mouth stayed open.

“…How did you…?”

“Nevermind that, let’s get back to my question,” Shirou interrupted. “Why did you never attempt to cover the mole up? Even a piece of cloth would have worked, right?”

Lancer’s mouth stayed open...then closed.

Then opened again.

Then closed again.

Finally, he managed to stammer: “…I-I never thought of that…I tried growing my hair out to cover the front of my face...”

Shirou’s eye twitched and he resisted the urge to facepalm.  _ Seriously? The source of over half of your problems, including your  _ death,  _ and you never thought of a simple solution such as  _ covering it up with a piece of clothing?  _ Also, hair doesn’t work that well when  _ wind _ is a thing, Diarmuid.  _

He sighed. “I suppose we all have our idiot moments. Let’s move on. To the Master of Lancer standing on that warehouse, the woman hiding on  _ that  _ warehouse, and the man hiding on that crane…”

“Are you all addled?”

Another wave of shock passed through gathered Servants and Masters as they tried to figure out why the blue-clad man had asked such an insulting question.

“First of all, to the Master of Lancer on that warehouse there, are you  _ asking _ to be shot at? You have placed yourself in the open, with little in the way of defensive spells protecting your person, leaving you vulnerable to even attacks from Lancer or _ Saber _ . You’re lucky they decided to duel, and that I am here to observe more than anything. Otherwise, you would be dead where you stand.”

The Servant’s exasperated tone combined with his cold assessment of their failures gave the impression of a father scolding his children. Instantly everybody in the immediate vicinity cursed themselves for their own brand of carelessness. But Shirou wasn’t done.

“You do realize that I’m not even Archer, right?” he continued. “A  _ true _ Archer-class Servant could probably kill you all right here like some sort of turkey shoot. In fact, I marvel at the fact that Archer’s Master did not take this chance to kill you all.”

A chill ran down the spines of all present as the gathered participants considered the gross risk they had all taken.

It was Irisviel who spoke up first. “Why...are you here?”

Shirou raised an eyebrow. “I believe that I mentioned that I am here to observe for my Master.”

She shook her head. “No...why are you here as  _ Avenger? _ I have never heard of this class before…”

A flash of shock filled Shirou’s eyes.  _ I had expected Irisviel of all people to know...this is going to be a problem. _

_ Oh well, I suppose honesty is the best policy. _

“Your family has not informed you of my Class?” Shirou inquired, prompting a gasp from Irisiviel. “They have not told you that an Avenger was summoned for the previous war?” 

All of the participants were once again stunned into silence.

Shirou grimaced.  _ This is going to be tougher than I thought. I had counted on Irisviel knowing about Avenger...oh well, at least it’s not as bad as that time with Primate Murder. Seriously, if the damn monster wanted a  _ four-cheese pizza,  _ of all things, why not just  _ tell  _ us  _ before _ trying to kill us all? _

Irisviel looked at him with eyes as wide as plates. “...my family...summoned...an  _ eighth  _ Servant in the Third War…?”

As Irisviel processed this information, Saber turned to glare at him. “You would not have interrupted our duel for such trivial questions. Why are you here?”

_ As perceptive as ever, _ Shirou thought. “You are correct, Saber. Assassin still lives.”

Yet another wave of silence swept through those present there.

_ I’m pretty sure I’ve dropped more bombshells here than the British did at Dresden,  _ Shirou thought dryly.

“How is that possible?” The cold, arrogant voice of Lancer’s Master sounded through the docks, though it carried a hint of surprise. “He was dispatched by Archer when he tried to attack the Tohsaka residence! I am sure that everyone here has seen that  _ somehow, _ ” he sneered.

Shirou shrugged. “Perhaps Assassin’s Noble Phantasm allows him to duplicate bodies. But I am sure at least one of the parties present can confirm my claims. In any case, you should look out. Something foul is at play here.”

He turned to leave, walking away from the docks slowly.

“Halt.”

Shirou froze, then turned around to face Lancer, who seems to have finally recovered from that little talk they had concerning his mole.

“Yes, Lancer?’

He turned around, facing the spearman who regarded him with a neutral expression.

Lancer raised Gae Dearg at him. “I thank you for your information regarding Assassin, but you interrupted my duel with Saber. Though I am here to deliver the Grail to my Master, I had wished to engage in honorable combat at least once. You have delivered a grave insult by denying me that.”

Shirou winced. He hadn’t considered the Servant’s sense of honor. “My sincere apologies, Lancer. I merely thought that the information I needed to impart was too important to wait.”

Lancer blinked in surprise. He clearly did not expect sincere regret from Shirou’s part. Then he fixed his gaze upon the Servant of Vengeance once more. “Then, Avenger, do you accept my challenge?”

Shirou nodded. “It is only fitting.”

Lancer twirled his spears. “You intend to battle  _ me _ with a bow?” he inquired with amusement.

Shirou snorted. “I do not intend to die stupidly, Lancer.”

He held out his right hand.

“ _ Trace, on. _ ”

A blood-red spear, the same that the Hound of Ulster once thrust through his heart, materialized in his hands.

All present recoiled at the sight of the spear, but none were more surprised than Lancer.

“You intend to battle me with a  _ spear _ ?” Lancer uttered in surprise. “Moreover, is that spear the one I think it is?”

Shirou twirled Gae Bolg in his hand, then crouched as he placed his other hand on the shaft, imitating Cu Chulainn’s posture. “I have always desired to face a master of the spear with their own weapon. Let us see how long I can last.”

He leapt towards Lancer.


	3. Faker vs. Lancer

Saber gasped as Avenger met Lancer and swiftly thrust the spear at Lancer’s heart. Avenger had moved with blinding speed, almost matching that of Lancer’s during their bout. Lancer, of course, deftly blocked with Gae Dearg and countered with Gae Buidhe, attempting to cripple one of Avenger’s arms. Avenger quickly realized Lancer’s intent, however, and used the other end of his blood-red spear to parry Gae Buidhe and jump back to disengage.

Had Saber been someone less dignified, she would have been described as staring.

_ This is impossible,  _ she pondered.  _ I know Lancer is a master of his spears, yet Avenger is somehow able to keep up. That brief exchange was no fluke: at the very least, Avenger has trained under someone equal to Lancer’s skill level in life.  _

_ Even so, he should be restrained by the limits of his class. He shouldn’t be able to keep up with Lancer’s speed...so how? _

Lancer glared at Avenger. “How did you come by  _ that  _ weapon?” 

Avenger shrugged. “Obviously, I’m not the original owner. In fact, this is just a copy of the original spear. A very thorough and precise copy, but a copy nonetheless.”

Lancer narrowed his eyes. “That does not answer my question. Putting aside the quality of your forgery for the moment, how is it that you are able to wield Gae Bolg with the skill of the Hound of Chulainn?”

Saber’s eyes widened.  _ That...is Gae Bolg? _

Avenger twirled the Spear Whose Curse Brings Certain Death expertly, then slammed the end into the ground, cracking the cement. “That is a secret that I cannot reveal at the moment.”

“I have looked through all the records concerning the Hound the Throne has provided me, yet I find no mention of anyone even remotely resembling you in his legend. Who are you, Avenger?” Lancer once again pointed his spear at Avenger’s chest.

Avenger put Gae Bolg across his shoulder. “Apologies, but I am not under any obligation to answer that question.”

Lancer’s grip tightened on his spear. “You have already deduced my identity-”

“-through clues you yourself gave and a special ability,” Avenger interrupted. “You did not give me your name. I will not give you mine unless ordered to by my Master.”

Avenger placed Gae Bolg in both hands once more. “Shall we continue?”

This time it was Lancer that charged at Avenger, brandishing both spears as the two Servants clashed in a flurry of blows.

Saber watched in amazement as the two men danced around each other. Lancer attempted to feint, jabbing Gae Dearg at Avenger’s heart before targeting his leg using Gae Buidhe at the last second. Avenger blocked the strike using the blunt end of Gae Bolg before slashing at Lancer with the speed of a demon.

For a split second, Saber saw his eyes gleam red, as a specter of a man clad in blue spandex and shoulder guards mirrored his movements, a fierce grin on his face. 

She was startled by the phantom’s sudden appearance.  _ What was that? Could it have been… _

Lancer’s eyes were wide with shock. His posture was as rigid as an iron rod, and he grit his teeth. “...the Hound of Ulster…?”

Avenger planted his spear once more. 

Lancer narrowed his eyes. “How is it he fights alongside you, Avenger? He has never known you in life.”

Avenger grinned. “That is for me to know, and you to find out.”

He then began his own offensive.

Avenger first aimed a stab at Lancer’s shoulder before feinting to his right leg. Lancer deftly blocked the feint, but Avenger was already striking at the spearman’s chest. Lancer swiftly deflected that as well, and Avenger aimed another blow at Lancer’s left calf, even faster than the blow before that. The two Servants began to move so swiftly that even Saber was having trouble keeping up with their fight. They eventually became a blur of clashing metal and sparks, with both combatants whirling wildly as the force from their blows cracked the pavement.

Saber narrowed her eyes in thought.  _ I thought that Avenger would be the weakest opponent in this War, judging from his unimpressive parameters.  _

Avenger delivered a final slash, which Lancer disengaged from by leaping backwards.

_ Clearly, I have underestimated him. _

Avenger smiled. “Ha...one and a half minutes. I really  _ have _ gotten better.”

Lancer was now wearing a contented smile, but it was tinged with curiosity. “I must admit, I did not expect such skill with a spear from you, Avenger. Though you are not quite a master, this is a most entertaining battle.”

Avenger smiled. “Such praise from an actual master of the weapon is a great honor, Lancer. Although, I will say that my skills aren’t quite there in terms of spears.”

“AHAHAHAHA!”

Suddenly, a clap of thunder shook the sky, which was followed by a bolt of lightning that struck the ground with a blinding flash. When Saber opened her eyes, she saw a chariot.

The chariot was white, adorned with golden decorations along the rim. The wheels were made of wood, but they appeared as sturdy as iron. The black oxen that pulled the chariot wore a golden harness around their chests.

There were two people in the chariot.

The man’s crimson red hair and beard connected seamlessly with each other, giving the combined impression of a lion’s mane. He wore a crimson red cape around his shoulders with fur adorning the top and bottom. Strands of orange silk were sewn into the bottom of the cape, making is appear as if flames burned in the fabric. A reddish-brown breastplate covered his torso, and greaves covered his forearms, with more fur at the ends of the greaves. Two pieces of fabric covered his lower body, with strips of brownish-red armor sewn into the waist area. A golden pattern repeated across the bottom of the pieces.

The man stood with the authority of a king as he grinned down at the participants of the Grail War gathered here, his stance confident and proud.

The boy that cowered behind him was a different story.

The raven-black, short hair of the boy gave the impression of someone who did not know what in the world he was doing here. He wore a black shirt with a white undershirt and a black-and yellow striped tie underneath. Beneath that, he wore black striped pants and shoes. All in all, it appeared that this boy had been dragged into this confrontation by the man in the chariot. 

Saber snorted.  _ The boy is a Master in name only, it appears. _

The man spread his hands. 

“Both of you, lay down your weapons! For I am a king!”

The man glanced at both Avenger and Lancer, before taking a breath.

“I am Iskandar, King of Conquerors! In this battle for the Holy Grail, I am of the Rider class of Servants.”

By the end of Iskandar’s declaration, all the participants were in shock. Saber opened her mouth in surprise, while Lancer outright gaped. The man stood as if nothing had happened at all, with that same confident grin plastered onto his face.

Avenger, however, was both gaping  _ and _ staring.

The boy in the chariot panicked. “Wh-What the hell are you thinking, announcing yourself that way, you idiot?”

Iskandar simply flicked his finger at the boy, causing him to whimper and whine in pain.

The Servant continued with a smile. “Fate has brought us all together in this place to do battle for the possession of the Holy Grail. But first, I wish to make a proposition.”

He raised his arms upward, and gleefully announced: “What think you of yielding the Holy Grail to me, and joining my invincible and glorious army? You would be treated with honored allies, friends, and brothers in arms.”

He slammed his fists together.

“Together, we shall share in the glory of battle, and the joy of world conquest!”

After the King of Conquerors had proclaimed his offer with the enthusiasm of a child, the gathered Servants stood in silence.

Which was punctuated by the sound of Avenger’s hand slapping against his face as he cradled Gae Bolg in the crook of his arm.

Lancer shook his head, as if refusing the precocious request of a three-year-old. “I’m afraid I must decline your offer. As  _ tempting _ as that offer may be, I may give the Grail to but one man: my new avowed lord and master.”

The spearman then sharpened his gaze into a glare as piercing and deadly as his spears as he stood before Iskandar. 

“And  _ not  _ to the likes of  _ you,  _ Rider!”

Avenger sighed. “I don’t mind the interruption so much, but could you have at least waited until our battle was over? I owe Lancer a fight for interrupting his duel with Saber, and I’d really prefer to deliver on that promise. And,” he held his hand up as the King opened his mouth, “before you say it, no, compensation will not persuade any of us here.”

The Servant of Vengeance then straightened, and his amber eyes hardened as he gazed at Rider. 

“Beside, I have already sworn allegiance to a king. I will not bend the knee to another.”

Saber closed her eyes. “Tell me Rider,” she spoke, as if she were scolding a charlatan, “Did you come here and interrupt their battle-- _ rudely _ \--merely to proffer that ridiculous and laughable plan of yours?”

Rider had closed his mouth by this time, and merely huffed in consideration.

“And further,” Saber continued, “I am the rightful King of Britain, and not merely a knight of the realm.”

She clutched her sword.

“I could never lower myself to mere retainer, even to a mighty king.” 

Lancer looked at Saber with surprise in his eyes, before smiling. “I should have known. No hero summoned by the Grail could ever mistake that golden blade.”

Avenger smiled sadly. “Apologies again for interrupting, Lancer.”

Lancer shook his head. “Do not dishonor yourself such, Avenger. Though I will be requesting a rematch with the King of Knights, you were still a magnificent opponent.”

Saber smiled with competition glinting in her eyes. “I see. I am quite impressed, Avenger. To receive acknowledgement from the First of the Knights of the Fianna, on spearmanship no less, is quite an accomplishment. I look forward to our clash.”

Avenger grimaced. “...we will have to do so later.” All present regarded the Servant with a confused look as the man seemed to involuntarily shiver at Saber’s request.

Rider looked at the Servant of the Sword and grinned. “Oh, you are King of Britain! That is quite a surprise! I’d hardly have expected the King of Knights to be a little girl.”

This time Avenger outright flinched. Lancer caught him muttering “...Rider...death wish? Saber... _ kindly _ ...little girl.”

Lancer raised an eyebrow. 

To Saber however, these were merely distractions.  _ How  _ dare  _ he! _

“Then would like a  _ taste  _ of this little girl’s  _ blade,  _ King of Conquerors?” She growled as she leveled her sword at the red-clad man, her green eyes blazing with the fury of a stormy sea.

The King of Conquerors merely sighed.

“I suppose negotiations have failed,” the King muttered while scratching the back of his head. “Such a terrible waste...a truly awful shame…”

The boy, who had been looking wildly at all sides. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“So  _ you  _ were the one who did it, huh?”

The cold voice of Lancer’s Master rolled over the docks once again.

“I’d been wondering what twisted madness had invaded your psyche and compelled you to steal my relic.”

The man chuckled with pure malice. “I never even imagined that you yourself had been planning to enter the Holy Grail War... _ Waver Velvet _ .”

As the man delivered his speech, the boy trembled in pure terror as he looked at the warehouse on which Lancer’s Master stood. 

“Now I know you’re not experienced in these matters. How would  _ you  _ like me to offer you a private lesson?”

The man grinned cruelly.

“What it  _ really _ means for magi to kill one another.”

The boy began to pant and sweat profusely as he frantically looked at the man on the warehouse. 

“I’ll teach you all about the fear and pain involved in such a noble endeavor.”

By this point, the boy named Waver was cowering in his chariot and was clutching his head. His whimpers became primal, like a cornered puppy.

Saber felt a twinge of sympathy for the youth.  _ He clearly had no idea what he was getting into… _

“You should feel honored,” the man sneered.

Then Saber saw something unexpected.

Iskandar put a comforting hand on Waver’s back. The boy stopped trembling as he gazed at his Servant with dull, green eyes filled with terror. The King smiled warmly before turning to face the man on the warehouse. 

“Magus who is speaking now! Do I understand correctly that you believe  _ you _ were to be my Master, rather than this boy I have sworn to serve?” The king proudly declared.

“That whole idea is absurd, and laughable. Only one brave enough to openly ride under the battlefield standing at my side could ever hope to be my Master. A coward who lacks sufficient courage to show himself is nowhere  _ close _ to being worthy of me!” 

The king threw back his head and laughed. Waver looked in amazement and gratitude at his Servant. 

_ Perhaps I have misjudged you, King of Conquerors, _ Saber mused.  _ It appears you truly care for those under your command.  _

“Lancer.”

Everyone turned to look at Avenger, who now clutched Gae Bolg in his right hand tightly. 

“I have nothing but the highest respect for you as an opponent. Therefore, I shall give you fifteen seconds. Fifteen seconds to shepherd your Master away from this place. Otherwise, there is no force in the cosmos that will stop me from slowly and painfully  _ tearing his heart out. _ ”

The Servant of Vengeance’s amber eyes blazed in the darkness as he spat his hate-filled declaration. A chill spread through all the members present as they were reminded of just why the man in front of them had earned the title of Avenger. Most unnerved of all, however, was Lancer himself, who took a step back before replying, “I-I apologize for my Master’s behavior, Avenger.”

The glare that Avenger sent towards Lancer could have slew an entire army.

However, before either Servant moved, the gathered participants felt something shift.

“My my, mongrel. You certainly have a high opinion of yourself.”

A shower of golden particles gathered on a nearby lamppost and formed into a man.

“Oh no, it’s him!” Waver exclaimed.

Avenger merely leveled his murderous glare at the Servant who appeared.

Saber quickly put herself in front of Irisviel, moving into a protective stance.

The man wore a set of golden armor engraved with black markings and black highlights adorned the greaves, gauntlets, and boots. He wore black fabric underneath the armor. His golden hair and red eyes gave him an inhuman look as he regarded the gathered members with a freezing, arrogant stare from atop the lamppost. 

Everything about this man screamed,  _ I am powerful beyond your belief. Look upon me and kneel, wretches. _

The newcomer’s face morphed into an annoyed expression as he spotted Avenger’s furious gaze. 

“So when you declare that no force in the cosmos can stop you, mongrel, does that include me as well?” the man sneered.

“And so what if it does, Gilgamesh?” Avenger’s reply was defiant as he gazed at the golden newcomer without a trace of fear in his eyes.

The rest, however, recoiled in shock at Avenger’s response.

_ Gilgamesh of Uruk? The King of Heroes himself is here?  _ Saber thought.  _ This...is not good. I am sure that he is considered the strongest Servant for a reason.  _

“Well, well, wretch. It appears as though you know who you’re speaking to after all,” Gilgamesh replied. He was obviously pleased to be recognized. However, he then narrowed his eyes. “As such, you should know the blasphemy you are committing right now.”

Avenger snorted. If this had been anyone else, the Servants would have simply brushed it off, but knowing who the golden Servant was, Iskandar, Lancer, and Saber both gazed at him in shock. Ignoring them, Avenger restated: “Yes,  _ Archer, _ I know what I said. And yes, that includes you.”

Gilgamesh’s eyebrow twitched. “You must have a death wish, mongrel. I shall graciously fulfill that.”

Golden pools materialized behind the King of Heroes as weapons slowly emerged from them.

All the Servants besides Avenger recoiled at the sight. 

Those were Noble Phantasms. 

He could use  _ multiple _ Noble Phantasms.

_ This...is why he’s the strongest Servant?  _ Saber thought.  _ I see...none can stand up to so many Noble Phantasms at once. Does Avenger have a death wish? _

She gazed towards the red-headed man, who now stood twin a pair of twin blades in his hand.

In one hand, he held a pure white-bladed Chinese falchion, with a short black streak protruding from the guard. In the other, he grasped a midnight-black bladed falchion with slight red hexagonal patterns covering the blade. Both were adorned with a round, dull-blue jewel and the end of the blade, bronze guards, and hilts wrapped in black silk.

Avenger simply continued to level his glare at the Servant, as if daring him to launch those weapons.

“Now, know the foolishness of trying to best your betters, filth!”

Swords flew at the Servant, but he swiftly deflected them using his twin falchions. An explosion rocked the area as the weapons impaled themselves onto the asphalt.

When the dust cleared, the Servant of Vengeance stood stoically, still fixing that glare of his on the King of Heroes.

Saber was shocked.  _ He managed to deflect all those Noble Phantasms with his swords at such speed? _

Avenger’s gaze taunted Gilgamesh, as if inviting him to fire yet more weapons at him to see what would happen. 

Gilgamesh grit his teeth. The lamp he was standing on shattered. 

“You...you  _ dare _ tarnish my precious treasures? You have no regard for your own life, mongrel,” Gilgamesh spat with unrestrained fury. “Then let us see how long your parlor tricks will save you for!”   
  
More golden pools appeared behind the Servant as yet more weapons flew towards Avenger.

Avenger once more skillfully deflected them with his twin blades, doing so with minimal movement. Even so, he jumped back as a spear flew at him, just outside the blast radius. Raising his arms, he batted aside another sword, then an axe, then a halberd. His movements flowed from one deflection to another, smoothly redirecting every instrument of war shot at him.

Another spear, charged with mana, soared at Avenger. The explosion tore up a cloud of dust as he dodged it. Out of the smoke came his two falchions, severing the lamp that the King of Heroes was standing on. The First Hero deftly jumped off before it fell, but all could see the raw fury present on his face as he landed. 

“I belong to the heavens...yet you would have me tread upon the ground?” he roared. “Your impudence has guaranteed your death!”

With the Golden King’s declaration, over twenty golden pools appeared behind him, all pointed straight at Avenger. Yet, even in the face of such overwhelming power, the red-headed Servant’s face remained fixed in a glower of rage.

Gilgamesh’s red glare met Avenger’s amber gaze, both heroes challenging the other to back down, yet neither willing to yield an inch.

It should have been laughable. Gilgamesh of Uruk was the first and mightiest hero. None here could match him. Yet... Saber was not sure if Avenger’s death was as certain as it seemed.

“Mongrel,” Gilgamesh growled, “when I am through with you, nothing will remain of your corpse!”

Avenger simply continued to challenge the monarch with those defiant eyes _. _

_ Come, you arrogant fool. Come and try. _

However, just as it seemed that Gilgamesh would unleash the instruments of war behind him, he suddenly jerked his head to glare at the sky.

“You dare order a king to withdraw? To leave the fight undone? You have _much_ nerve, Tokiomi!”

Gilgamesh turned his head back to the gathered Servants as he dismissed his weapons. “You were fortunate today, wretch,” he grumbled. “Mongrels!” he shouted as he addressed the rest of the Servants. “By our next meeting, see that you’ve culled your numbers. Only a true hero is worthy look upon my glorious presence.”  

Avenger snorted. “Big talk from someone who can’t be even be  _ compared  _ to a true hero.”

Gilgamesh seethed at the remark, but instead simply faded away. 

The rage in Avenger’s gaze abated a bit as he turned to the gathered Servants. “I must take my leave as well. I suggest you all do the same. After that display, I do not think I need to say why Gilgamesh could be considered the greatest threat in this Grail War.”

The gathered Servants merely stared as he slowly walked away.

“Lancer!”

The voice came from Lancer’s Master.

While Avenger continued to walk away, the heroes turned to see Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald’s face contorted into an expression of rage, hatred, and arrogance.

However, Saber also saw a tinge of fear.

“That wretch Avenger threatened to strike me down! Show him the fate of those who disrespect my name!” the magus spat.

Lancer winced. “Master, Avenger has shown himself to be a quite skillful combatant. Though I am confident I could best him in combat, I am not confident that I could protect you adequately during our battle.”

The magus’s eyes bulged and his mouth formed a sneer. “ _ I do not care! _ This... _ familiar _ has spat on the name of the Archibald clan!”

Kayneth raised his right hand as the Servants’ eyes widened in shock. 

“Master, no---!”   
  
“By the power of my first Command Seal, Lancer, I order you!”   
  


The stigmata on the back of the Archibald’s hand glowed a threatening red.

“Kill Avenger!”

A pulse of red magical energy sprang from his hand, and as it passed over Lancer, he began to move on his own.

Saber saw his face, filled with regret, rage, and reluctant loyalty, as he struck at Avenger’s back.

“Avenger, be--”

Yet there was no need for Saber’s warning.

In an instant, Avenger blurred as he turned, sped across the docks and leapt to the shipping crate where the arrogant magus stood, brandishing his twin falchions as he set them against his neck.

Kayneth froze.

“While I may not be able to defeat Lancer in single combat, magus, I can certainly kill you easily enough.”

Avenger’s gaze shone with anger, yet it was a different brand this time.

The fury he had directed at Gilgamesh was akin to a raging inferno. The Servants saw on his face an unrestrained desire to murder the golden Servant, an anger that demanded its fulfillment.

The anger he directed at Kayneth was ice cold. It wrapped itself around Kayneth slowly, encasing him in a freezing tomb. Now the Servant of Vengeance’s face was one of absolute calm, his face a blank mask that belied a mass of killing intent.

Kayneth’s face now contained more fear than anger.

“Avenger, this fight is between us Servants! Do not involve my Master in our fight!” Lancer roared.

“You are correct. However, I cannot tolerate someone who views a Servant as a mere familiar,” Avenger said coldly.

“Listen well, magus. The ones who stand before you are Heroes. Legends whose lives cast a shadow over the world itself. They were deemed worthy of entering a plane beyond human conception. They fought, bled, and died for honor, glory, and their comrades. Even Gilgamesh fought for his friend, Enkidu. They have seen far more death and bloodshed than most magi will see in their own lifetime.”

“And yet, you still dare to refer to them as mere familiars simply because you have a leash on one of them?”

Avenger’s voice was cold and condescending, as if scolding an arrogant frog in the well who thought that the patch of sky it saw was the world itself.

As Kayneth processed Avenger’s speech, the Servant switched his gaze to Lancer.

“Lancer, I want you to think on this. Your master is a man who believes you to be a mere familiar, no greater than a slave for him to command. He is willing to murder a child in pursuit of his goals.”

“I ask of you; is he a worthy Master?”

And with those words, Avenger astralized.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kariya watched in amazement from his apartment.

He had been sharing Avenger’s senses for the entirety of his battle at the docks. The fact that Avenger did so well against Lancer surprised him. He had done so with a spear, no less! 

He laughed just as Avenger materialized. 

“Ahahaha! Great job, Avenger! Did you so the look on Tokiomi’s Servant’s face! Ahaha!”

Kariya was elated. He had humiliated Tokiomi’s Servant with his own--and with an Avenger, no less! He had bested Gilgamesh himself! 

Avenger merely gave him a tired smile. “All I did was deflect his weapons. Gilgamesh has an ego the size of the world, so it’s easy to ruffle him up.”

Kariya grinned. “Still, you managed to hold your own against Gilgamesh himself.”

The Servant shrugged. “In any case, are the worms gone?”

Kariya nodded. “Most of them. The staff you gave me took care of it while you were at the docks. I was a bit surprised when it disappeared into light, though. Gave me quite a scare before I noticed most of the worms died.”

Avenger laughed sheepishly. “Sorry, I forgot to tell you. These copies don’t last forever.”

“In any case,” Kariya continued, “what can you tell me about the Servants who fought at the docks?”

“Lancer is Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, so his Noble Phantasms are Gae Dearg and Gae Buidhe. You already saw what Gae Dearg does, but Gae Buidhe inflicts wounds that cannot be healed so long as the spear exists in this world,” Avenger explained.

Kariya winced. “Damn, that makes close combat with him tough.”

Avenger nodded. “I’ll do my best to keep him at range. Next up is Saber, who is most likely King Arthur.”

Kariya’s eyes widened. “Wait, couldn’t it be some other British king? Like Richard the Lionheart or someone?”   
  
Avenger shook his head. “Unlikely. Rider referred to her as the King of Knights. Can you think of any other British king that has that title?”

Kariya pondered a moment before sighing. “No, I can’t. Damn, I thought King Arthur was a man. How did she even hide her gender with that battle ballgown of hers?”

Avenger snorted. “A riddle for the ages, Master. Continuing on, this means her Noble Phantasm is most likely Excalibur. I’m not entirely sure what it does, since the legends surrounding the sword were vague, but I assume that it will be very powerful.”

Kariya put a hand to his chin. “So if we run into her, what should we do?”   
  


“Retreat immediately. Her A-ranked Magic Resistance is already a gigantic pain to deal with for most magi, let alone an inexperienced one such as yourself,” Avenger noted. “Combined with her strength and speed, she would be able to defeat me pretty easily.” 

“So should we just avoid contact with her?” Kariya asked.

“Yes. She is unlikely to seek us out since her Master in most likely concerned with Gilgamesh.”

A hungry look came into Kariya’s eyes. “Tokiomi’s Servant…”

“His Noble Phantasms are the Gate of Babylon and Ea, the Sword of Rupture. The Gate acts as a portal to his treasury, which contains all the original prototypes for the current Noble Phantasms, and allows him to fire them at his opponents. As you saw at the docks, the weapons can be deflect if you’re skilled enough, but an onslaught of them would overwhelm pretty much any Servant.”

“What about Ea?” Kariya inquired.

Avenger winced. “Ea is even worse.”

Kariya grimaced. “I’m not going to like what comes next, will I?”

“It is a sword that can destroy the world in a single blow at full power. Even a fraction of its power would be sufficient to defeat any Servant in one hit.”

Kariya’s jaw dropped. “What? Good lord, no wonder he’s referred to as the strongest Servant.”   
  
Avenger continued. “However, thankfully his giant ego will prevent him from using Ea, since he feels that only worthy opponents have the privilege to see it. I’m still nowhere near that level, and I doubt any of the Servants are.”

Kariya groaned in frustration. Damn it, there  _ had _ to be some way to defeat Tokiomi’s Servant!

“What if we go after Tokiomi?” Kariya asked with that hungry look in his eyes.

Avenger paused before continuing. “Master, I advise that you do not attempt to do so. Tokiomi Tohsaka is the most powerful magus in this war, even more so than Kayneth El-Melloi. The only reason you escaped with your life the night you broke into his mansion was that his Bounded Fields did not recognize you as an enemy. They will now.”

“Could you snipe him?” Kariya continued. 

“If he’s ever foolish enough to leave the protection of his base, sure. But he’s set up a strong defensive position. He wants us to come to him. Doing so is like signing a death warrant.”

Kariya growled. “How do we force him out of his base, then?”   
  
“Master, I’d rather we wait and see. From what I saw, Tokiomi and Gilgamesh’s relationship isn’t exactly the best. Maybe that will blow up in his face. Besides, Gilgamesh is ranked A+ in Independent Action, so he’ll stay alive for seven days even if he doesn’t have a Master.”

Kariya gripped the sofa’s armrest. “Ugh. I suppose you’re right. Who else was there?”   
  
“Iskandar, or Alexander the Great, is Rider. I’m not entirely sure what his Noble Phantasm could be, but I’d bet it’s that chariot of his. Still, he’s an unknown, so we should keep an eye on him.”

Kariya flashed back to the image of the terrified child cowering in Rider’s chariot. “I’d really rather not kill a kid who barely knew what he was signing up for. I’ll send a bug to watch him.”

Avenger nodded. “Same here, Master.”

Kariya signed before standing up. “Alright, that’s enough for tonight. I’m going to sleep now. We’ll talk in the morning.”

Avenger nodded. “Good night then, Master.”

“Good night, Avenger.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_ Fire. _

_ A scene from Hell itself. _

_ The boy trudged through the burning buildings. He saw people trapped beneath buildings, flesh melting like wax. He saw seared corpses in front of him. _

_ Yet he was helpless. _

_ The cries and screams echoed around him as the boy desperately tried to find a way out of this nightmare, yet his strength was leaving him. In one last act of defiance, he reach out to the black sphere that floated in the sky. _

_ The black sphere that had unleashed Hell. _

_ The black sphere that took his family. _

_ The black sphere that was about to take him. _

_ The boy’s hand fell.  _

_ A man’s hand caught it. _

_ The man’s face was streaked with tears, his eyes nearly empty. His black coat and shirt were torn and dirty. His hands were raw and bleeding.  _

_ Yet the man smiled. _

_ “Thank you.” _

_ The boy saw the man’s face, a face that wore an expression of sincere happiness, as if he was the one that had been saved. _

Will I ever be able to smile like that?

_ That was the last thought the boy had before blacking out. _

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kariya woke up in a cold sweat. He had forgotten about the Dream Cycle which shows the Servant’s life to the Master. 

Yet, if that was truly his Servant’s memories, he was confused about one thing...

...why did he see Kiritsugu Emiya there?

_  
_


End file.
